Voice for dolls or puppets, provided with an anchoring organ

ABSTRACT

A voice device for a toy comprises a tubular member; a reed accommodated in the tubular member, a cap member inserted into and secured in one end portion of the tubular member, and an anchoring element having a collar accommodated in a recess of the other end portion of the tubular member and a plurality of rodlike members attached to the collar and extending therefrom along generatrices of a cone diverging toward the one end portion. The assembled voice device is accepted into a hole of a wall of the toy and is prevented from being extracted by the rod-like member which engage the wall and spread apart whenever a force is applied to the voice device tending to extract or expel the same from the hole.

United States Patent [1 1 Palumbo 1 July 1,1975

[76] Inventor: Arnaldo Palumbo, Via Faenza 10,

Milan, Italy [22] Filed: Mar. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 340,935

1,235,099 6/1971 United Kingdom 85/88 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner.l. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A voice device for a toy comprises a tubular member; a reed accommodated in the tubular member, a cap member inserted into and secured in one end portion of the tubular member, and an anchoring element having a collar accommodated in a recess of the other end portion of the tubular member and a plurality of rod-like members attached to the collar and extending therefrom along generatrices of a cone diverging toward the one end portion. The assembled voice device is accepted into a hole of a wall of the toy and is prevented from being extracted by the rod-like member which engage the wall and spread apart whenever a force is applied to the voice device tending to extract or expel the same from the hole.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 VOICE FOR DOLLS OR PUPPETS, PROVIDED WITH AN ANCHORING ORGAN This invention relates to a sound making device for dolls, puppets and similar toys, which is provided with an anchoring element adapted to prevent removal of the sound making device from the body of the dolls or puppets.

As it is well known, the dolls and other puppets in general, especially if made from elastomers or other plastic materials, are usually provided with a sound making or voice device, which emits a sound upon each compression of the body of the doll or puppet.

The voice device comprises a reed enclosed in a tube which is suitably shaped and provided at its front portion with a stopping seat.

The aforementioned tube is forced through a hole provided in the wall forming the body of the doll or puppet so that the wall abuts against said stopping seat, thereby embracing and firmly holding the voice device.

Considering, however, the relatively high flexibility of the wall and the fact that very often the children, particularly in their early years, step on their dolls or chew on them, it may be seen that the abovementioned voice device fixing system may be inadequate.

From the above it follows that the dolls or puppets which are provided with voice devices constitute a source of latent danger to the child, who may inadvertently swallow the voice device while playing with the doll.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice device for dolls or puppets which is not possessed of the above-mentioned drawback.

The device according to the invention comprises an anchoring element adapted to prevent removal of the voice device from the body of the doll or the puppet.

In addition thereto, the voice device of this invention comprises a shaped tube having two stopping seats one of which is disposed at the front portion and the other at the rear portion of the shaped tube.

The shaped tube is further provided with a recess in its rear portion, which is adapted to accommodate a collar of the anchoring element. A plurality of rod-like members extends from the collar toward the front portion of the shaped tube, diverging along generatrices of a cone.

As a result of such an arrangement, the shaped tube, once inserted into the hole of the body of the doll or puppet, cannot be removed therefrom due to the engagement of the rod-like members with the wall forming the body of the doll or puppet.

As a matter of fact, in case of an attempt to remove the voice device from the body of the doll through the hole, the rod-like members spread apart, thereby preventing the tube from being extracted from the body of the doll or puppet.

These and still further characteristic features of a functional and constructional nature of the voice device for dolls and puppets provided with an anchoring element according to the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the various figures on the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a shaped tube according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an anchoring element to be used in cooperation with the shaped tube of FIG. 1; and

HG. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembled voice device attached to the wall forming the body of a doll or puppet.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawing, it may be seen therein that the voice device according to the invention comprises a tubular casing 2 accommodating a reed 1 and provided with a frustoconical end portion 3.

The tubular member 2 is provided at its other end portion with a recess 4. An anchoring element shown in FIG. 2 comprises a collar 5 and a plurality of rod-like members 6. The anchoring device is preferably made of flexible material.

The rod-like members 6 are arranged along the generatrices of a cone and are provided with rounded ends. The length of the rod-like members is suitably shorter than the length of the tubular casing 2.

A stem of a hollow cap 7 is inserted into, and fastened in, the frusto-conical end portion 3 of the tubular member 2, and includes a disk-shaped portion 8.

The disk-shaped portion 8 has a larger diameter than the stem of the cap 7 and is provided with a plurality of apertures 9, adapted to permit passage of air through the interior of the tubular member 2.

FIG. 3 shows the voice device in its assembled condition, the collar 5 of the anchoring element being accommodated in the recess 4 of the tubular member 2.

The thus assembled voice device is inserted into a hole 10 formed in a wall ll forming the body of a doll, puppet or a similar toy, so that the frusto-conical end portion 3 of the tubular member 2 abuts against the wall 11.

The insertion of the voice device into the wall is rendered possible by the flexibility of the wall which is preferably made of an elastomer or a suitable plastic material as well as by the generally frusto-conical configuration of the assembled voice device.

The disk-shaped portion 8 also abuts against the wall 11, so that the voice device is retained in the hole 10 as a result of the fact that the wall 11 projects into a recess defined by the disk-shaped portion 8, the stem of the cap 7 and the frusto-conical end portion 3 of the tubular member 2.

As a result of this arrangement, the voice device once inserted into the hole 10 cannot be extracted from the body of the doll or puppet.

If a force is applied to the voice device tending to expel the same out of the doll, the ends of the rod-like members 6 contact and slide along the wall 11 with attendant spreading apart of the rod-like members 6.

As the rod-like members 6 spread apart, they contact a gradually increasing surface of the wall 11 so that the voice device is prevented from being removed from the doll through the hole 10.

From the foregoing specification and from perusal of the various figures of the accompanying drawing, one may easily see the advantage and practical application of the voice device for dolls and puppets according to the present invention.

I claim:

I. A voice device for a toy, comprising, in combination, a tubular member having a first end portion of frusto-conical configuration and a second end portion longitudinally spaced from said first end portion and provided with a recess; a sound-generating reed in serted into said tubular member; and an anchoring element having a collar accommodated in said recess of said second end portion and a plurality of flexible rodlike members attached to said collar and extending therefrom toward said first end portion.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rod-like members extend along generatrices of a cone diverging toward said first end portion.

3. A combination as defined in claim I, wherein said anchoring element is made of flexible material.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a cap member having a hollow stem inserted into and fastened in said first end portion of said tubular member and a disk-shaped portion having a diameter larger than that of said stem and provided with a plurality of apertures establishing communication between the exterior and the interior of the cap member.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4, to be used in a toy having a wall forming the body thereof and a hole formed in the wall; wherein said disk-shaped portion, a portion of said stem and said first end portion define a groove accommodating a marginal portion of the wall surrounding the hole, whereby to secure said voice device to the wall. 

1. A voice device for a toy, comprising, in combination, a tubular member having a first end portion of frusto-conical configuration and a second end portion longitudinally spaced from said first end portion and provided with a recess; a soundgenerating reed inserted into said tubular member; and an anchoring element having a collar accommodated in said recess of said second end portion and a plurality of flexible rod-like members attached to said collar and extending therefrom toward said first end portion.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rod-like members eXtend along generatrices of a cone diverging toward said first end portion.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said anchoring element is made of flexible material.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a cap member having a hollow stem inserted into and fastened in said first end portion of said tubular member and a disk-shaped portion having a diameter larger than that of said stem and provided with a plurality of apertures establishing communication between the exterior and the interior of the cap member.
 5. A combination as defined in claim 4, to be used in a toy having a wall forming the body thereof and a hole formed in the wall; wherein said disk-shaped portion, a portion of said stem and said first end portion define a groove accommodating a marginal portion of the wall surrounding the hole, whereby to secure said voice device to the wall. 